Vacation advice needed

MAJdansk

When you're away from home, and have no access to MFP to record, what do you do to stay on track?

Melodieccurn

First of all planning . If you know some restaurants you will be eating at, most have online menus. Two make sure you are active. Take a long walk on the beach, bike ride swim anything to burn calories. I try to follow a 80/20 philosophy choose wisely 80 percent of the time and you can have that splurge.

seltzermint555

Mental calculation. Estimates. Trying to listen more to my actual hunger cues (which is challenging for me). Just remember it's only a vacation and unless it's a month or more, it won't be too hard to undo any minor "damage"! Enjoy!

MAJdansk

mallowbar wrote: »

First of all planning . If you know some restaurants you will be eating at, most have online menus. Two make sure you are active. Take a long walk on the beach, bike ride swim anything to burn calories. I try to follow a 80/20 philosophy choose wisely 80 percent of the time and you can have that splurge.

seltzermint555 wrote: »

Mental calculation. Estimates. Trying to listen more to my actual hunger cues (which is challenging for me). Just remember it's only a vacation and unless it's a month or more, it won't be too hard to undo any minor "damage"! Enjoy!

MAJdansk

Good suggestions. Thanks. Planning, mindfulness, exercise... I'll be in the Land of Yummy Baked Goods....Paris! I'll be doing a lot more walking than usual though. Only 8 days there ....and really watching it before I go. Thanks again!

dubird

Number one tip: It's a vacation. Enjoy it. Don't spend all your time worrying about calories or you won't have a good time!

If you're looking for specific advice, make sure to do a lot of walking. I don't know where you're going, but there should be plenty of opportunities to walk. When getting meals, get the smallest portions you can. If it's a restaurant that's has an online nutrition menu, plan what you're getting BEFORE you get there and stick with it. That way, you're not as tempted by everything else around you.

And even if you don't have access to MFP, write everything you eat down. Yeah, you may not know the calorie amounts, but just the act of writing it down gives you a general overview of your day and if you see on paper that you had a large lunch, it'll be easier to say 'yeah, just something light for dinner'.

maureented

Maybe carry a small note pad and write down everything you eat every day sort of like you are recording in MFP. That's what I do when no internet access for multiple days. Just the fact that I have to write it down keeps me somewhat on track.

MsJulesRenee

Write everything down on a little pad of paper to keep you in the habit of logging. Only eat until you are comfortably full- harder said than done lol. Pick the foods you really want to try and leave the empty calories. Only drink wine or calorie heavy liquids during one meal of the day. Share desserts with a friend.

jemhh

I would keep in mind healthy eating habits but eat what I want and enjoy vacation.

MAJdansk

I like the idea of continuing to write my food down, and eating more healthy foods. That does seem to keep me honest and on track. But I won't be obsessive about it. I'll make it more of a "documentary" of the good food there. LOL. We're taking our neice along, and we'll probably want to share desserts...maybe she'll be willing... Thanks all for the ideas. I know I'm super blessed to be going.

rak173

I suggest keeping around healthy snacks (pack them or buy some when you arrive). I find that I make my poorest food choices when I'm tired and hungry. By having some healthy portable snacks, I find that I am able to make better choices when it comes to lunch or dinner out.

MsJulesRenee

offtosveltsville wrote: »

I like the idea of continuing to write my food down, and eating more healthy foods. That does seem to keep me honest and on track. But I won't be obsessive about it. I'll make it more of a "documentary" of the good food there. LOL. We're taking our neice along, and we'll probably want to share desserts...maybe she'll be willing... Thanks all for the ideas. I know I'm super blessed to be going.

I would make a food journal with pictures and descriptions, to make it fun. Just a suggestion Have fun on your vacation

MAJdansk

Thanks everyone. Healthy snacks like almonds might be a good one. Photo journaling ....cool idea.

try2again

When we're on vacation, I never count but try to use common sense- "Gee, we had that huge buffet for lunch, so maybe just a salad for dinner." And that's another thing we tend to do- try to have our heaviest meal earlier in the day. The best tip, as many have mentioned, is keeping your vacation active. Lots of walking, a daily swim at your hotel, outdoor activities. More often than not, I've come back from a vacation with a loss (but of course, none of those vacations were in the food capital of the world!)

minniestar55

I don't stress when I'm on a holiday. I leave tomorrow for a week in the Canaries; I'llmake sure to walk as much as I can, take photos of my meals, don't pig out or be excessive with food or drink. I used to go jog 3/4 miles each morning, but now I use the week to rest up my aging knees! Common sense is the best way to go...

MAJdansk

Good suggestions!

OyGeeBiv

Taking photos along with writing down what you eat is a great idea. Try to have something in the photo that will give you some idea of scale (how big the plate is). Like, put your hand down on the table next to the plate when you take the picture.

I travel a lot over the winter, and there's no way I want to eat in restaurants 3 meals a day for 42 days! I typically bring breakfast food and snacks with me (oatmeal, almonds, tuna) and a collapsible measuring cup. If you have a fridge in your hotel room, go to the market and pick up some fresh fruits and veggies and some local foods. I love foreign markets because they give a nice glimpse into the local culture, so it's part of my vacation experience to shop in them. Even something as simple as yogurt is going to be different from country to country.

60muffin

You know what? Life is too short. Enjoy your holiday. It's only a couple of weeks out of the whole year. Eat sensible without stressing about it. Get lots of walking and swimming in. You'll probably lose weight LOL.

tcunbeliever

maureented wrote: »

Maybe carry a small note pad and write down everything you eat every day sort of like you are recording in MFP. That's what I do when no internet access for multiple days. Just the fact that I have to write it down keeps me somewhat on track.

This is also what I do and it works for me! Just having to write things down makes you more conscious of what you are consuming!

OyGeeBiv

60muffin wrote: »

You know what? Life is too short. Enjoy your holiday. It's only a couple of weeks out of the whole year. Eat sensible without stressing about it. Get lots of walking and swimming in. You'll probably lose weight LOL.

That's fine for some people, but I'm away from home about 1/5 of each year. I adapt my diet to what's available locally, but I still have to be careful with what goes in my mouth. Having the attitude of "Life is too short" is how I wound up more than 100 lbs overweight. Which, I guess, is a self-fulfilling prophesy. Being this weight will make my life "too short".

pondee629

Where are you going that you won't have access to MFP through your mobile device? With my I-Phone, if I don't have a connection, data is saved locally until a connection is made.

offtosveltsville wrote: »

When you're away from home, and have no access to MFP to record, what do you do to stay on track?

The only time I've been "unable" to record on MFP it was a self exile on vacation. I see comments on these Boards from people all over the world. Clearly there is access in different countries. Where are you going where you don't have access and CAN'T record for a significant period of time? You can eat sensibly and exercise regularly while away from home. You can probably record from your mobile devise while away from home. Isn't this now the World Wide Web?

If you want to, you will be able to do it.

MAJdansk

pondee629...I wasn't going to take my phone, but maybe I will. Thanks.